Steroid hormones such as estrogen act on target cells by a....

Steroid hormones such as estrogen act on target cells by
$a$. initiating second messenger activity.
$b$. binding to membrane proteins.
$c .$ initiating gene expression.
$d$ activating enzymes.
$e .$ binding to membrane lipids.

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Key Concepts

Steroid Hormones

Steroid hormones are lipophilic molecules derived from cholesterol that have the ability to easily cross cell membranes. This characteristic allows them to interact with intracellular receptors rather than binding to cell surface receptors, distinguishing their mode of action from many peptide-based hormones.

Intracellular Receptors

Intracellular receptors are proteins located in the cytoplasm or nucleus that bind lipophilic hormones such as steroid hormones. Once bound, these receptors undergo conformational changes that enable them to act as transcription factors, directly influencing gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences.

Gene Expression Regulation

Gene expression regulation is the process in which the hormone-receptor complex interacts with DNA to either activate or repress the transcription of target genes. This is the primary mechanism through which steroid hormones like estrogen exert their biological effects, leading to long-term changes in cell function.

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